Meanwhile, as its name suggests, the German club promotes the
study and appreciation of German language and culture.

Each club represents a chance for students to connect to the
campus, serve the community and gain valuable leadership skills,
according to Gezai Berhane, assistant director of Student Life and
Leadership.

In 1991, just a year after the university opened in a
storefront, there were about 250 students and five or six clubs,
said Berhane, also a university alumnus. At that time, Berhane
himself belonged to two of the groups -- the sociology club and the
African American student organization.

"I am all for more and more opportunities for students," Berhane
said. "The down side is we're a commuter campus, so any
organization that starts with a few individuals that are very
passionate about it doesn't always get the followers that they want
to attract."

It takes five founding members and some paperwork to get the
ball rolling toward a new club. That part is relatively easy;
sustaining organizations has proved harder.

Since 1991, at least 200 clubs have been created only to fall
off the university's roster, according to Berhane.

Now, in addition to training in event planning and financial
management, club officers are schooled in how to recruit new
members and prepare them for succession within the group.

Identify new leaders early on and develop personal relationships
with them, the Student Life and Leadership office recommends.
Outgoing officers should pass on the tips they wish they'd been
told when they started.

Advisers from the university's staff and faculty can also help
keep clubs on track.

Professor Kyle Owens advises the CSUSM student chapter of the
Association of Computer Machinery, which is working this semester
on a grant proposal for a robotics project.

"I think clubs are important because it gives students an
opportunity to connect to the campus," Owens said. "A lot of our
students are not from the area.

"They meet new friends (in clubs), they get a chance to really
experience what Cal State San Marcos is all about."

A desire to connect is what prompted senior Emily Guckert to
join a soccer team and a sorority during her first year on campus.
Guckert rose through the ranks of CSUSM's chapter of Alpha Chi
Omega, a national sorority.

She is now chapter president. A wealth of club activities on
campus creates its own momentum and generates school spirit.

"In the past, there were people just coming to class and
leaving," Guckert said.

"With orgs and clubs, people are wanting to stay."

Some club activities focus on similarities between people, while
others, such as the outreach by the group Priority Christian
Challenge might be spurred by difference.

"We work a lot with international students, especially from
eastern Asia," said junior Jennifer McDonald. McDonald's group
schedules dinners, trips to theater events or, in the case of one
recent expedition, a trip to a pumpkin patch, in additional to
Bible studies, as part of a cultural exchange.

"A lot of (the Asian students) have never heard about
Christianity, which is a huge part of American culture," McDonald
said.

Bringing in guest speakers, holding social events and even
renting tables and chairs for fundraisers costs money. The
university doesn't fund clubs, but the student-run auxiliary
Associated Students Inc. budgets $15,000 each year for club
events.

The money comes from the portion of students' fees that goes to
the auxiliary.

So far, the steady increase in clubs appears to be matched by
the increased number of students and their fees.

"In the last couple of years, we've always had an excess amount
of money. … It has not been a big issue," said junior Gil Cardenas,
chief financial officer and vice president of finance for the
student auxiliary.

At the end of the last school year though, clubs had used
$14,000 of the $15,000 available, he said. If student fees
increase, ASI will probably consider increasing its budget for club
activities, he said.

Dilcie Perez, director of Student Life and Leadership, said she
is optimistic about the level of collaboration among clubs.

"We are seeing them just do lots of stuff. … Not just what we
call 'fun, food and festivities,' but programming for socially
conscious issues. And isn't that what college is all about?"